I Miss You Already
by xxxjoxxx
Summary: Christmas in New York :) Based on a prompt to write the journey back to Brooklyn, the morning after the night before. This story covers what we didn't get to see on screen and fills in the blanks between the snowstorm kiss and the 'I miss you already' text. *Now includes the 10 days before they saw each other again.
1. Chapter 1

AN: I couldn't get the idea for this out of my head - it's based on a prompt from Jen to write their journey back to Brooklyn to drop Liza off in the morning after their first time. …I started off just doing that, but it turned into a 'filling in the blanks' between the epic Bridget Jones-esque snowstorm kiss and the 'I miss you already' text.

So, it's Christmas in New York again and I hope you enjoy reliving it :) I really enjoyed writing this one! I'd love for you to drop me a review and let me know what you think :)

Merry (early) Christmas!

Disclaimer: I sadly do not own Younger or any of its characters.

* * *

December 23rd 2018

LIZA

As she stepped out into the crisp Upper East Side morning, Liza glanced at Charles as he held the front door open for her and smiled shyly at him. Considering what they'd done last night, multiple times, it was kind of funny that it was now when they were fully clothed and wrapped up head to toe that she felt shy. There was something about stepping out of Charles's house together into the bright light of day though that brought home to her the magnitude of what they'd just shared. _"We can't go back to how we were after this", "I hope not"._ Those were the last words they'd spoken to each other before they crossed the line they both knew there was no going back from, but like Charles had said – she didn't want to go back. They'd finally given in to what they'd both wanted to do for so long, what had been building between them for years, since the moment they met.

Her face heated as memories flashed through her mind…

Liza had had the surprise of her life when she'd trudged home in the snow two days ago and found Charles on her doorstep. She'd then lost all ability to form coherent thoughts when he'd made " _I don't care anymore_ " into the four most romantic words in the English language. It was four simple words, but they were so poignant and fitting because they were signifying a new beginning for them – one in which the lies, the anger and the hurt no longer mattered, and one in which they were finally free to be together. When he'd kissed her and held her to him as the snow fell all around them, every ounce of longing and passion that had been burning between them was poured into that moment. She hadn't felt the intoxicating heat of his kiss since Pound Ridge, which felt like an eternity ago, and by God had she missed it. She didn't know how long they stayed there like that, wrapped in each other's arms and oblivious to the world around them as they tried desperately to get more and more of each other, having been denied it for so long. When they did finally break for air they were both breathless and laughed in happiness and amazement at the night's turn of events. He'd took her hand in his, needing to maintain contact – any contact, now that the dam had been opened.

" _I thought you were going skiing"_ she'd said when her brain regained some functioning.

He'd smiled at her as he replied, _"I was – I was on my way to the airport, but then 'The Lonely Goatherd' came on the radio...it reminded me of someone very special, and I realised there was something more important I needed to do."_ Her heart had melted at his words and she returned his smile. He dropped his gaze for a second and when he looked back up at her his face had a more serious expression. _"I'm sorry for the way I've been towards you recently Liza. It was unfair and I-"_

She'd placed a finger on his lips and cut him off before he could say anything else. " _It doesn't matter – I don't care anymore"_ she replied, repeating his words back to him.

He'd smiled that beautiful smile of his – she'd only seen it a few times, each time had been when it had been just the two of them, but each time it had sent tingles down her spine at the look in his eyes. As he sighed in relief and she saw his breath in the freezing air, she realised how cold he looked and that she didn't know how long he'd been out there waiting for her. She'd invited him in to warm up, at least that's what she told him – she did want to warm him up, but it was more that there was an invisible pull between them, stronger than ever now, and she couldn't face the thought of the night ending just yet.

Caitlin was still at Rose's and Maggie was out, so it was just the two of them. It was strange seeing him standing there in her apartment, and for some reason he looked even taller. She'd been to his house several times, but this was the first time he'd been to her world. She snapped out of her thoughts when she realised he was waiting courteously for her to tell him where to go. Her brain was still in a daze from the seismic shift in their relationship that had just taken place as she took his wet coat and poured them both a glass of wine. As they sat down on the couch their knees had brushed and she became acutely aware that they were alone and that all the barriers that had previously gotten in their way, were no longer there. She took a large sip of her wine to calm her nerves.

When she caught his eye, she knew he sensed it too. _"So, this is where you live – I always wandered what your apartment would be like."_

She quirked an eyebrow at him in amusement. _"You did?"_

He blushed furiously, realising how that sounded, _"That came out wrong…I didn't mean-"_

She smirked, finding his embarrassment incredibly cute. _"I know what you meant."_

Their eyes had locked, and she wasn't sure who initiated it, but somehow they were kissing again and she found herself pressed into the back of the sofa as he hovered over her. Without their thick coats between them their hands were free to explore each other's bodies. And explore they did. It had been too long and there had been too many false starts – the need to touch him was visceral. The feel of his hands running up her sides and into her hair was exhilarating – no one had ever had such an all-consuming effect on her before. The world could have imploded right then and she wouldn't have noticed – or cared, she was too lost in the feel of his strong body pressed up against hers. His breath had caught when she'd pulled his shirt out of his pants and ran her hands over the bare skin of his muscled back, needing to get even closer to him. When she'd moved her hands round to the front and tugged his belt open he'd paused in his ministrations on her neck and cursed. She giggled because she'd never heard him swear before. He gently caught her hand before she could slip it inside and sighed as he propped himself up on his elbow.

" _Liza, you have no idea how much I would love for you to continue."_

She smirked and shifted slightly under him, _"I think I've got some idea"._

He blushed again, realising that she could feel his very obvious arousal against her thigh. He cupped her face with his hand, _"But I don't want you to think that that's why I came here tonight. I…really care about you Liza, and I want to do this right. Let me take you out, on a date."_

She'd grinned so widely her cheeks hurt – this man was living proof that chivalry was most definitely not dead. As much as she wanted to not wait a second longer and just take him to her bedroom and give herself fully to him, she also quite liked the idea of being wooed.

" _What do you say?"_ he asked.

" _I'd say you haven't actually asked me a question"_ she teased.

Charles chuckled happily and offered her his hand to help her back up, _"Liza Miller, would you like to go on a date with me tomorrow night?"_

" _I'd like that."_

After finishing the bottle of wine and sharing a repeated and prolonged kiss goodbye, neither wanting to part now that they'd finally come together, they bid each other goodnight, with the promise to see each other the following day. As she climbed into bed her phone buzzed with a text from Charles: _'Happiness is holding someone in your arms and knowing you hold the whole world' – I never knew how very true that quote is until tonight. C x'._ She'd fallen asleep with a happy heart and a smile so bright it could have lit up all of New York.

The next day was spent in a mixture of nervous and excited anticipation of what the evening would bring. In hindsight she'd reasoned it was probably a good thing that they hadn't strayed further than second base last night – she hadn't anticipated the possibility of anyone seeing her naked, so her underwear was not matching, and she wasn't as waxed as she would have liked. This thing with her and Charles had been building for two years now and so the anticipation was at fever pitch. She wasn't sure if tonight would finally be the night, she really hoped it would be – more than she would ever admit out loud, but she was going to be prepared. And so, by the time 6PM rolled around she was waxed, plucked, moisturised and blow dried to within an inch of her life. She could feel her pulse racing when she buzzed him up and waited for him at the door. All of her effort was worth it though when he saw her – his eyes widened, his jaw dropped, and the usually articulate Charles Brooks was lost for words.

" _Liza, you look…you look beautiful"_ he stuttered.

She smiled at his reaction. _"Thank you. You look really good yourself – I like you in black."_ 'Really good' was an understatement – her mouth had gone dry when she'd caught sight of him walking up the stairs in his tailored black dress pants and jacket, a fitted black shirt on underneath, tie-less and with a couple of buttons oh so sexily left undone, giving her a tiny glimpse of his chest.

" _Erm, this is for you."_ He blushed shyly as he handed her a beautifully exquisite purple rose, wrapped in cellophane and tied with a delicate navy bow. _"I'm not very good with flowers but the lady in the store explained the meanings of all the different colours of roses, and the purple seemed fitting."_

She'd practically melted at his touching gesture and she was desperate to know what that meaning was. When he didn't elaborate she had to fight the urge not to dig out her phone from her purse and Google it. She thanked him and gently took it from his outstretched hand before leaning up and shyly kissing him. The electricity crackled around them in an instant at the contact, and she was grateful for his steadying hand on her hip to keep her balance. After putting the rose in some water she took his hand and they headed out to their waiting cab.

Whilst she'd been nervous in anticipation of their 'first date' that night, as they sat around a candlelit table in the restaurant, talking and laughing together like they'd been doing it for years, all traces of nervousness disappeared. Those feelings were replaced with ones of completeness, contentment and happiness. It just felt right, in a way that she'd never experienced before. He asked about Caitlin, she asked about the girls, and they regaled each other with stories of when they were younger and their lives before they knew each other. She'd listened intently, wanting to learn every detail about him, and laughed as she tried to picture a shy, gangly young boy rebelling against his parents by reading comic books instead of classic literature. They discussed their favourite authors and how they fell in love with reading, and before they knew it, four hours had passed in no time at all.

With their food long since finished they moved to the bar area, which was cosy and darker, giving it an intimate feel. As Liza sat at their table waiting for Charles to order their drinks at the bar, temptation got the better of her and she pulled out her phone. Never had a Google search made her smile quite so widely: _'Purple roses primarily stand for enchantment. The giver of the purple rose seeks to convey that he or she has fallen in love with the recipient at the very first sight. A deep magnetism and charm that makes the recipient almost irresistible is what the purple rose seeks to convey.'_ It was perfect and said everything without words being needed. They were going home together tonight – no more waiting, and a tingle ran down her spine at the thought.

" _I'm nervous", "I'm a little nervous"._ They'd laughed at the synchronicity in their omissions, both knowing that it was the subtle promise of what was to come later on that was the cause of their nervousness.

" _I remember the first time I saw you in the office. You were wearing this beautiful navy suit._ _You looked so tall and important."_ That memory was as vivid in her mind as if it had happened just yesterday. It was funny how she'd never questioned why she remembered so clearly every detail about their encounters.

" _First time I saw you, you were having lunch at your desk and reading 'Look Homeward, Angel'._ _And I thought 'Who does that?'"_

" _I do."_

She was surprised, and touched, that he remembered in quite so much detail the first time he saw her. He seemed equally as touched, and it signified how important they were to each other, from the very first moment. 'Love at first sight' she'd thought, just like the rose signified. Even if they didn't realise it at the time, she was sure that's what it was.

The mood was different as they sipped their drinks than it had been over dinner. It was still relaxed, but it was more…intense. Longing glances and light brushes of his hand against hers set her nerve endings alight with desire. One look in his eyes and she knew he could feel it too – that charge in the air that buzzed with excitement, with passion. With anticipation.

They didn't order another round. This was it – they'd waited long enough. When Charles opened the Uber app on his phone, he glanced at her before typing in the destination address. She took the phone from his hand and typed in his address, smiling as she handed it back to him and added, _"Just the one stop."_

The ride back to Charles's house was thankfully short, and words weren't needed as they smiled shyly at each other and composed themselves for what was about to come. His foot started tapping, so she placed her hand on his knee in comfort and linked her fingers with his. He smiled gratefully at her.

" _I feel it too"_ she told him. It had been a long time coming, and the thought that it was finally happening held a lot of meaning for both of them.

When Charles let them inside, the door had barely closed behind them before she was in his arms and his lips were on hers. " _Are you sure?"_ he'd gasped breathlessly when they broke for air.

" _I've never been surer."_

Smiling reverently, he'd held his hand out to her. She took it and he led her silently up to his bedroom. Once inside, the need to touch him again overwhelmed her so she'd wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. _"We can't go back to how we were after this"_ she murmured, wanting to make sure he was sure, like he had with her.

He was sure. _"I hope not."_

With the assurance that this was what they both wanted and that this time they wouldn't be interrupted, they took their time in savouring every moment. Standing across from each other as they slowly undressed was quite possibly the most erotic and sensual moment of her life. Their eyes never left each other as one item of clothing, then the next, was removed until they stood in front of each other with no more barriers, physical or emotional, between them. She was surprised at how totally unselfconscious she was being stood fully naked in front of him. She'd always felt self conscious being naked in front of men before, even after being with them for a long time, but with Charles it was different. Her breath caught as she stepped into his arms and he ran his hands so softly down her arms and to her hips, then explored the bare skin on her back. She smiled when he gasped as she touched his broad chest, then followed his exploration by running her hands over the tight muscles of his arms and back. She held his gaze as she sat down on the bed and held her hand out to him. He smiled as he took it and then lay her back on the bed, kissing her as he climbed on top of her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down so their bodies were flush against each other and she could feel his heart beating rapidly against her chest, the warmth of his skin seeping into hers. She kissed him soundly, needing to be even closer. She could feel how ready he was – the evidence was poking her in the hip, but he took his time in making love to her. He was patient and attentive and took care of her every need. He knew exactly what she needed without her having to say anything, and the sensations made her see stars. When he finally entered her they both gasped and she grabbed the sheets at the exquisite feeling of complete fullness. He loved her and built her up until she felt like she would pass out from the sheer intensity of the pleasure. He caught her gaze and they fell over the cliff together, exploding around each other in a crescendo of emotion and feeling.

As they lay together afterwards, her head on his chest and his arm around her shoulders, they grinned goofily at each other and laughed happily, unable to believe that what had just transpired between them was no longer just a dream. They'd talked about anything and nothing as the hours wore on, just happy to be with each other. She'd fallen asleep in his arms and the last thing she remembered before losing consciousness was him placing a tender kiss on her forehead. She had a vague memory of him whispering something in her ear, but she wasn't sure if she'd been dreaming.

She'd woken a couple of hours later to find herself in the same position, with Charles smiling down at her and running his fingers lightly over her hair. When she glanced at the window she saw the first strains of daylight trying to break through and felt an anxiousness at the thought that they only had a few more hours together. Charles had foregone his skiing trip in favour of staying in New York with her, but he had to leave for Florida today or he wouldn't make it to the girls in time for Christmas Eve. Charles had sensed her change in mood and cupped her face as he kissed her sweetly. They'd made love again as the sun rose and illuminated them as it gradually shone in through the window. This time she made sure that she took care of all of his needs too. He kissed her as they lay breathing heavily afterwards and she had to bite her tongue to keep from blurting out those three little words she'd only admitted to Maggie and Jay. She felt it – more so than ever before in her life, but she kept it to herself – for now.

Charles had made her breakfast – pancakes, and she'd complimented him on how good they were. He'd smiled proudly and then admitted that that was the extent of his breakfast repertoire and he only knew how to cook them because they were the girls' favourite, so they were a necessity. It was a perfect domestic morning, and one she hoped she would get to experience repeatedly in the future. When 8:45AM rolled around he reluctantly ordered a cab and helped her into her coat, before they headed out into the crisp morning together.

* * *

As Charles slid into the seat next to her he interlaced their fingers and rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb. He smiled warmly at her, "What are you smiling at?"

Liza blushed, "Just reminiscing."

Charles grinned and brought her hand up to his lips, placing a kiss on her knuckles. "Last night was incredible."

"It was. You were worth the wait."

"So were you." The raw tenderness in in his voice made her heart ache. He smiled shyly at her as he added, "It still seems surreal doesn't it?"

"Yeah, it does. I still can't believe we finally did that! I mean, I've imagined it often enough, but now it's actually happened."

Charles smirked and quirked an eyebrow. She blushed, realising she'd just admitted to fantasising about having sex with him – frequently. He sensed her embarrassment and squeezed her hand, "I've thought about it too – more than I care to admit." She giggled, imagining him waking up all disheveled after a vivid dream about the two of them, in the same way she had. "So did it live up to expectations?"

The shy, nervous look on his face told her he wasn't being cocky – he was genuinely concerned about whether he'd made her happy. She was fairly certain she'd been pretty vocal in how happy he'd made her last night! He was without doubt the best sex she'd ever had! But this was new for them both, and if he needed reassurance then she was more than happy to give it to him. "It totally surpassed my expectations."

He beamed at her and his smile was infectious, "Mine too. Being with you is far better than any fantasy." They were quiet for a few moments, revelling in their admissions and content to just 'be'. "Do you regret that we waited so long?" he asked curiously.

Liza thought about it – she'd wanted to be with him for a long time. Her feelings had been there long before she was ready to admit them out loud, or even to herself. But would it have been better if they'd given in sooner? They could have slept together at the Hamptons, but she hadn't fully ended things with Josh then. They could have slept together on numerous occasions after she jumped him in his office, but Pauline would have complicated things. "I think things happen when they're supposed to happen" she told him, "Like I was supposed to get my job at Empirical when I did, and I met you." He smiled at her. "We could have slept together sooner, but in hindsight I don't think that was our time. Josh…Pauline…things would have tainted it. And for us to have a chance, you needed to know the truth before we moved forward. I feel like this is our time."

The look on his face was one of wonder, like he was seeing something amazing that he couldn't quite believe was real, and it sent a tingle down her spine. "I think you're right. There were so many times when I wanted to hold you, or kiss you, or even just to spend time with you and talk to you…but I get that it was more complicated before. I mean, it's still complicated now but I want us to have a chance Liza – so much. I want this to work."

"Me too" she murmured, her throat getting tight with emotion. There was nothing she wanted more – she wanted to tell him that, but she didn't want to say too much too soon.

The cab came to a stop and looking out of the window she realised with a heavy sense of disappointment that they'd arrived back in Brooklyn. It only felt like five minutes since they left Charles's house, but in reality it had been half an hour.

She glanced at Charles and saw that he looked as disappointed as she felt. "Is it wrong that I was hoping for traffic?" he joked, trying to lighten the mood.

She laughed, knowing that she'd been willing the journey to last longer too. If he didn't have to get to the airport she'd happily sit in traffic with him all day. "No, it's not wrong."

He looked at the driver and then back to her and they smiled sadly at each other, knowing that their time together was almost over – for now. With a sigh he opened the door and stepped out onto the sidewalk, holding his hand out to her to help her out. When she climbed out they were standing so close she could feel his warm breath on her face. She kept hold of his hand, needing those last few moments of contact.

She smiled as she looked up at him. It was bittersweet because she was sad that he was leaving, but she was also so incredibly happy that she was able to be stood here with him right now, and that them having shared something so beautiful was the reason that she was.

"I'll call you Christmas Eve" he promised.

"If you can. I know you have the girls" she replied, leaning in closer as she affectionately gripped the lapels of his coat. She knew he'd try, but she didn't want him to feel bad if he couldn't. He'd have his hands full with two excited little girls at Christmas and she didn't want to take his time away from them.

He smiled, telling her with a look that he would make time. "And I'll see you in ten days."

That made her smile. Ten days seemed like a lifetime right then, but it would give her something to look forward to, and it showed he was making plans to see her again. January 2nd couldn't come quickly enough! "Safe trip."

He nodded and then leaned down and kissed her so tenderly it made her want to cry. When he pulled back his lips hovered over hers and then lightly brushed them in a featherlight caress, stopping short of kissing her again, knowing that if he did then they'd never stop.

"Bye" she murmured.

"Bye" he whispered back, before reluctantly turning and climbing back into the cab.

Liza smiled at him through the window and waved as she watched the car drive off. She heard her phone buzz as she was staring after him and reached into her pocket to pull it out. Her face broke into the biggest grin and her heart swelled in her chest as she read the message: _'I miss you already.'_ She sighed happily as she glanced one more time in the direction Charles's cab had driven but was no longer visible, before turning and heading into her apartment building. She typed out a response to him and hovered over the 'send' button, debating whether or not to send it. Before she could change her mind she sent it – he'd put his heart out there so she should return the favour. Christmas was a time for letting the people you love know how much you care about them. She saw that he'd read it and she smiled imagining his face as he read her words: _'I missed you before you left. L x'._


	2. Ten Days

**AN:** Firstly, thank you SO much for your amazing comments for the first chapter - I'm so glad you enjoyed it! :)

So this chapter follows directly on from where chapter 1 left off and covers their 10 day gap before they saw each other again. It's taken a while to write because it's VERY long - like director's cut of the Titanic long! It's actually the length of 3 of my normal chapters, so hopefully that'll make up for the wait :) I did really enjoy writing it though so I hope you like my imagining of what could have happened in the 10 days we didn't see :)

As always, I'd love to hear your comments, so please drop me a review and let me know what you think :) Enjoy!

* * *

 **Ten Days**

 **Day 0:**

LIZA

As Liza opened the door to her apartment the smile had not left her face, the warm feeling that had spread throughout her whole body at Charles's text, eradicating any winter chill. Maggie was in the kitchen and smirked at her when she saw her.

"Good morning. Judging by that smile on your face I'd say you had a good night" she teased.

Liza grinned wider in reply – there was no point trying to pretend she didn't know what Maggie was talking about, she knew her too well.

Maggie laughed at the lack of words needed in her reply. "Wow, that good huh?! So did the Empiriconda live up to all the hype?"

Liza's jaw dropped at Maggie's choice of phrasing. She shook her head in amusement at being asked that question for the second time that day, although Charles had asked it in a far less crude manner. "Oh my God, please never mention that name in front of Charles - he'd die of embarrassment!"

Maggie laughed and handed her a cup of coffee. "So does that mean I'll be getting to meet him soon?"

Liza blushed shyly. She and Charles hadn't had time to discuss the logistics of how this thing between them was going to work. It was still incredibly new, but the one thing she was certain of was that Charles was an important part of her life, and she wanted him to know 41 year old Liza. And that meant getting to know the people she loved the most. She smiled as she imagined Charles sitting around the breakfast bar with her and Maggie, much like they were now, talking and laughing together and then Charles blushing at one of Maggie's inappropriate comments. "Yeah, I guess you will."

Maggie smiled warmly at her. She more than anyone had been privy to Liza's developing feelings for Charles over the years, her anguish over needing to tell him the truth and dilemma of what to do when Pauline came back. "I'm happy for you. Lord knows it's been a long time coming with you two – pun intended!"

Liza laughed happily, grateful that she could share her happiness with her best friend. "You have no idea!"

"Okay, so just tell me one thing – did he hit the mark?"

Liza blushed and then smirked at her, "You remember that time I spoke to you after dreaming about having sex with him?"

"Which time?" Maggie teased.

Liza rolled her eyes but couldn't stop her grin. Maggie was right – there had been many, many times over the past two years when she'd woken up hot and bothered after dreaming about Charles. "When I said it was the best I'd ever had" she clarified.

Maggie smirked, sensing where she was going, "Uh huh?"

"It was prophetic."

They laughed together and Liza filled Maggie in on a PG version of her night with Charles, wanting to keep the more intimate moments just between the two of them. What they'd shared last night was very special and meant to lot to her, and she wanted those memories to be just theirs.

When she settled into bed that evening, a wave of tiredness washed over her as the adrenaline of the past two days wore off. She and Charles had not done a lot of sleeping last night and it had caught up with her. Just before her eyes closed she heard her phone buzz on the nightstand.

' _Wish you were here. C x'_

The text came complete with a selfie of Charles and the girls on the beach. Whilst it was still snowing in New York, it was clearly much warmer there as they were only wearing t-shirts. They were all grinning widely and the girls had ice cream around their faces. Liza smiled at the happiness in the photo and it warmed her heart that he wanted to include her in it too.

' _Me too. L x'_ she texted back, before drifting off into dreams of a tall, green eyed man turning up on her doorstep and offering them a new beginning.

* * *

 **Day 1: Christmas Eve**

CHARLES

Charles always loved Christmas when he was a kid – he was an only child and his parents always went all out to make sure it was magical for him. After he'd grown up and his parents had died, it had lost some of its sparkle, especially when he took over at Empirical and he no longer had time for holidays. When the girls arrived, he endeavoured to change that and made an effort to give them the kind of Christmas he'd enjoyed as a boy. His love of Christmas was reignited when he got to experience the magic through the eyes of his girls, and each year he would make sure he was around to ensure they had a great time. That became increasingly important last year when it was just the three of them. He'd pulled out all the stops to make sure Pauline's absence didn't ruin the holiday for the girls, and to his relief they'd had a wonderful day together.

He smiled as he watched his daughters running around their grandparents' garden in 20-degree heat. This year would be a little different – the girls had never spent Christmas outside of New York, and spending the day with his hostile, soon to be ex-wife was not his ideal choice, but Pauline wanted to see the girls and he wasn't willing to give up spending the day with them either. So here he was, in Florida, in his soon to be ex in-laws beach house. He still got on with Pauline's parents, but he'd rather be in New York with the girls. With Liza.

He flicked back through the photos he'd taken yesterday of him and the girls to one he'd taken before he left. It was a candid, in the moment picture he'd taken when he'd woken up to find Liza sleeping peacefully, her head resting on his chest. She looked so beautiful and serene that he couldn't not capture the moment. He traced his finger over the image of her face on his screen. It was the one and only photo he had of her, at least the only one that wasn't a publicity photo and work related, and he hoped that it would be the first of many he'd get to take of the two of them together. He missed her, which was crazy because they'd only seen each other yesterday, but he did. They'd spent 12 hours together that night, just the two of them, which was longer than they'd ever spent together before as a consecutive piece of time. And now that he'd experienced what life with Liza could be like, especially after what they'd shared, he craved more. He glanced at his watch and wandered if it was too soon to call her; he had said he'd call her today after all. He shook his head in amusement – he had it bad.

Bianca made the decision for him when she called out to him, "Daddyyy! Come on, we're making sand angels!"

Charles smiled fondly as he got up and followed Bianca and Nicole down to the beach. They'd always loved making snow angels back in New York, but with the lack of snow here it seemed they were improvising. He took one last glance at the image of a sleeping Liza before pocketing his phone and lying down in the sand next to his daughters, reveling in the sound of their happy giggles.

Back at the house later on he groaned as he walked into the kitchen, feeling sand in places where sand should not be. The girls were upstairs getting ready to go carol singing with their grandparents and he was looking forward to a hot shower and some time to read. He grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and turned when he heard someone come into the room. The air immediately became thick with tension when he saw it was Pauline. Ever since that night when he'd showed up at Pauline's book reading, back when he'd still been angry with Liza, and in his frustration had made it fairly obvious that there was something between them, Pauline had switched and had been continually making digs about them.

"You know, I never took you for the cliché boss sleeping with your assistant kind of man." It seemed she would be continuing that trend.

Charles sighed, "Do you really want to do this now – again?"

Pauline didn't seem to hear him; either that or she chose to ignore him, because she just carried on. "I'm just trying to get it straight in my head…I mean it seems so obvious now that I think about it. I didn't put it together at the time, but you were jealous of Jay weren't you?" Charles clenched his jaw but didn't say anything, figuring if he just let her finish her rant then this conversation would be over quicker. "What was it, an ego boost to prove you've still got it? …I can see the perks from her side: you're rich, and powerful – you can do wonders for her career…"

Charles snapped – he couldn't listen to this anymore. Pauline could bad mouth him as much as she wanted, but there was no way he was going to stand there and listen to her make Liza out to be some sort of gold digger who sleeps around to get ahead. Nothing could be further from the truth. "Do not speak about her like that" he warned.

Pauline raised an eyebrow, surprised at the sternness in his voice. "Is an office fling really worth throwing away 12 years of marriage and breaking up your family?"

Charles sighed in frustration; he couldn't believe that a woman as intelligent as her could be so stupid and have such a twisted view of reality. "You know nothing about me and Liza. And for the record, I didn't cheat on you. You cheated on me, remember? You left me, and the girls, for over a year, and moved to the other side of the country. There is no world in which you get to take the moral high ground here. Liza is nothing like that, and how I choose to move on is none of your business."

Pauline was stunned into silence by his outburst as he stood there glaring at her. Despite his anger, he saw in her eyes the moment realisation dawned on her. "You're in love with her." It was more of a statement than a question.

A small smile pulled at his mouth and some of the tension drained from his body as he recalled the many times over the past 48 hours when he'd told Liza, without physically saying the words, that very fact. He wanted to tell her; he wanted to say the words - he'd had to bite his lip on numerous occasions to keep from blurting it out, but a part of him was still scared of being that open and putting his whole heart out there. One day, he promised himself; one day he would tell her. "Yeah, yeah I am" he confirmed, before walking past her and out of the room.

Charles stayed in the shower until the water started to run cold, the heat of the water helping to ease the frustration of having to justify his relationship with Liza once again. He supposed Pauline would have been perturbed whoever he was with, but the fact that it was someone she knew, and someone she believed was considerably younger than him, probably made it harder to swallow. He knew Pauline wouldn't be the last person he'd have to justify himself to, and as annoying as that was because it was no one else's business, he was ready for it. Liza was worth any and everything he'd have to face. It had taken them so long to finally be in a place where they were on the same page, where they were able to give in to what had been burning between them since the moment they'd met. They hadn't defined what exactly they were yet, but he knew that he was all in, and he was not going to let anything get in the way this time.

After helping the girls excitedly set out a plate of milk and cookies for Santa and some carrots for the reindeer, he tucked them into bed and read them 'The Night Before Christmas', just like he had done every year since they were born. They fell asleep quickly, the excitement of the day and anticipation of Christmas morning wearing them out. He smiled at his sleeping daughters and kissed them goodnight, willing them to stay little and innocent for as long as possible. It was still relatively early and he knew Liza was spending the evening with Caitlin so he settled in his room with a scotch and a weathered copy of 'A Farewell to Arms'. He'd packed in a rush, wanting to have as much time with Liza as possible, and thrown in some reading material on a whim. He smiled ironically as he realised he'd subconsciously chosen one of Liza's favourite books.

As he always did when he read, he lost himself in the words and the character's stories, and before he knew it, it was 11pm. He felt his heart rate speed up as he picked up his phone and scrolled down to the 'L's. He felt like a teenager again, a mixture of excitement and nervousness flowing through his veins as his finger hovered over the call button. He hadn't heard her voice in 38 hours and he craved it like his lungs craved oxygen. With a smile on his face and the sound of his heart beating in his ears, he pressed 'call'.

She answered on the second ring. "Hey" she breathed, and his smile widened at hearing her voice again.

"Hey" he replied shyly, "You sound surprised" he teased, "I told you I'd call you on Christmas Eve."

Liza giggled and he revelled in the sound, resolving to elicit it from her as often as he could. "You did. And you made it with an hour to spare."

Charles laughed, "I didn't want to interrupt your evening with Caitlin, and then I lost track of time reading."

He could sense her smiling through the phone, "What were you reading?"

"A Farewell to Arms."

"Ah, I totally understand – I've lost whole days to Hemingway!" Liza replied, causing him to chuckle as he imagined her holed up, devouring page after page as the hours ticked by. "I'm glad you called" she added sincerely.

"Me too. I missed you" he told her shyly.

Liza sighed happily into the phone and the sound reverberated in his ear, sending tingles down his spine. "I missed you too" she murmured, equally as shyly.

He'd never tire of hearing her reciprocate his feelings. After so long of taking one step forward only to take ten steps back, and resigning himself to only ever being with her in his dreams, it was music to his ears to hear it clarified that they were no longer victims of unsynchronised passion. Charles's initial nervousness subsided as he got caught up in her, enraptured as he listened to her regale him with her day. He smiled fondly as she told him about going ice skating at Rockefeller Centre with Caitlin, just like they had done when Caitlin was little, then coming home and watching Christmas movies. He laughed in amusement at her having had too much eggnog with Maggie, and how she thought she was probably still a little drunk right now.

The clock on the sideboard caught Charles's eye and he smiled when he noticed the time. It only felt like five minutes since he called her, but it had been over an hour. Time flew even quicker with Liza than it did when he got lost in a book. "Merry Christmas Liza" he told her warmly, happy that even though they were in different states, they were seeing in Christmas together.

"Merry Christmas Charles."

He vowed that next year they wouldn't need a phone, because he would be right by her side.

* * *

 **Day 2: Christmas Day**

LIZA

After wishing each other a Merry Christmas, Liza had curled up in bed with her phone resting on her face and the sound of Charles's soft voice in her ear. They'd talked until their sentences became incoherent, neither wanting to hang up. Eventually the pull of sleep became unavoidable though and they reluctantly said goodnight. There was a familiarity to it that was surprising considering that it was so new; it felt like a habit – like something they'd do every day for the rest of their lives. She fell asleep in an instant, the smile never leaving her face.

Liza woke at around 08:30 to the sound of Christmas music and clattering in the kitchen. She groaned as she rolled over to reach for her phone, disoriented from being pulled from a deep sleep. The smile returned to her face as she opened her phone to check the time and found a text from Charles:

' _Merry Christmas Liza...officially! I hope you have a wonderful day. C x'_

He'd sent it at 06:55 so he'd had even less sleep than her. She giggled as she imagined the girls excitedly waking him up at the earliest possible time they thought they could get away with. Caitlin thankfully was now at the age where she enjoyed lie-ins.

' _Merry Christmas to you too…officially! Say hi to the girls for me. L x'_

Liza clumsily climbed out of bed and threw on her old Dartmouth hoodie before heading into the kitchen to help Maggie.

Maggie looked up from the mountain of vegetables she'd been chopping and smirked at her, looking amused. "Merry Christmas! You look like you got even less sleep than you did when you and Charles finally sealed the deal."

Liza sat down at the breakfast bar and poured herself a cup of coffee. "We were on the phone 'til pretty late last night" she admitted, a smile tugging at her lips as she remembered how easily conversation had flowed as they talked about anything and nothing, just content to listen to each other's voices.

Maggie quirked an eyebrow, "Oh yeah?"

Liza rolled her eyes but couldn't keep the amusement from her voice, "Not like that!"

"I bet it was like that when you had your little sleepover" Maggie teased.

Liza laughed and threw a piece of carrot at her best friend. "So, what can I do to help?"

"Erm…everything's pretty much prepared now apart from the potatoes – you could do those?"

"I'm on it." Liza pushed herself up off the stool and grabbed a peeler and a knife, happy to be able to contribute in some way. She knew Maggie loved Christmas and always liked to make a big feast for dinner. She felt kind of bad that Maggie had done all the preparation on her own, but having known her for so long she knew that even if she had offered earlier, Maggie would have just shooed her out of the kitchen anyway. Cooking was Maggie's forte and, in the kitchen, she was queen. "Sit down, put your feet up - I'll finish this."

Maggie smiled gratefully and took the stool Liza had just vacated. "So, are you going to tell Caitlin about you and Charles?"

Liza glanced over at the closed bedroom door where her daughter was still sleeping, then back to Maggie. "I will tell her…but it's just so new at the moment, and Charles and I haven't even defined what exactly we are yet. I think we need to have the 'What are we?' conversation before we go public." A moment of doubt flickered through her mind as she wandered if she and Charles were on the same page. She knew what she wanted: him, all of him – all the time. After everything they'd shared the past few days she was pretty sure he wanted the same things, but he hadn't explicitly said the words. The whole concept of that conversation scared her, but it was one they needed to have, although it was definitely a face to face rather than an over the phone type of conversation.

"You mean the one where you tell him you've been madly in love with him ever since he talked nerdy to you about books?"

Liza laughed out loud at Maggie's choice of phrase – she always knew how to lighten the mood. "I'm not sure I'll go with those exact words." She didn't bother trying to deny that the content of them was true though.

"You should – you guys have beaten around the bush for so long, just lay it out there!"

Liza looked at her unsurely; was she right? Should she just lay her heart on the line like that? "But what if he doesn't…"

Maggie reached across the table and squeezed her hand, "Sweetie, I may not have met him yet, but I've been hearing about him for the past two years, and I'd bet my rent-controlled apartment that he feels the same way. He's crazy about you – you have nothing to worry about."

Liza smiled warmly at her – hoping she was right. She just needed to pluck up the courage to have the conversation with Charles.

* * *

Later on she sat slumped on the couch, half comatose from eating so much food, Maggie on one side of her and Caitlin on the other as they watched 'Love Actually' on TV. She could honestly say that this was one of the best Christmases she'd ever had. Maggie's dinner had been amazing, and she was spending the day with two of the most important people in her life. When Caitlin was little, those Christmases were always special, seeing her wide-eyed happiness and excitement, but as Caitlin got older and her and David's relationship had lost its spark, Christmas became just another day. She'd enjoyed last year, spending it with Maggie, but back then her personal life had still been kind of up in the air so she hadn't felt totally settled. But now, Liza really felt like everything was falling into place; her career was going from strength to strength, she was surrounded by the people she loved, and now she and Charles seemed to finally be getting their shot. There was only one thing that would make this day even more perfect, and that was a certain person who was currently in sunnier climes being there with her. She smiled as she imagined that exact scene unfolding next year.

The feel of something vibrating against her leg pulled Liza out of her food coma and she snorted in amusement as she sat up and caught sight of her best friend and daughter passed out next to her. She couldn't keep the smile off her face as she read Charles's text: _'FaceTime? C x'_

Liza carefully extricated herself from between Maggie and Caitlin, trying her best not to wake them, and relocated to her bedroom. Glancing down at herself as she settled on her bed, leaning back against the pillows, she was grateful she'd made the effort to get changed this morning and hadn't stayed in pyjamas all day. A rush of excitement ran through her veins as she clicked the little FaceTime icon next to his name and waited for him to pick up. She didn't have to wait long before his face popped up on her screen.

"Hey" he greeted, smiling shyly.

"Hey."

He was wearing a casual navy polo shirt, and it reminded her of when she'd bumped into him in the Hamptons when he was about to go golfing. He also had a bit of a five o'clock shadow going on – he looked hot. "You know, we've never FaceTime'd before" she realised, and pointed out to him.

Charles chuckled at her random comment and then smiled affectionately at her, "You're right – it would seem this is a week full of firsts."

Liza blushed and smiled shyly, remembering all of the other firsts they'd shared recently – it was definitely a week she would never forget. "So how was your Christmas?"

Charles opened his mouth to reply but didn't get to respond as two giggling little girls, clad in matching Christmas onesies launched themselves at him from behind. Liza smiled as she watched Charles wrap his arms around them and pull them both into his lap.

"Aren't you two supposed to be in bed?" he chided affectionately.

"We wanted to say goodnight first" Bianca explained, giving him the cutest of smiles that showed off her missing two front teeth, and Liza could tell she had Charles wrapped around her little finger.

"Liza!" Nicole exclaimed happily when she noticed her on Charles's iMac screen.

"Hi Liza!" Bianca chimed in, waving excitedly and leaning forward so Liza got a very close up view of her face.

Liza chuckled and waved back at them, "Hi girls! Have you had a good day? Did Santa bring you lots of nice things?"

"Yeah we had fun, although it's kinda weird being sunny at Christmas" Nicole replied. Liza smiled in amusement – she was definitely a New York girl.

"We got new Polly Pockets!" Bianca added excitedly, "You have to come round and play with them with us!"

"Yeah come round and play Liza, we haven't seen you in ages!" Nicole agreed.

Liza glanced at Charles and saw him smiling, "I'd like that."

The girls beamed, and Charles told them to go on up to bed, with the promise that he'd be up shortly to tuck them in and read them a story. After a chorus of "Night Liza" and hearing a stampede of little feet running up the stairs, Charles smiled as he looked back at her.

"I'd like that too" he murmured softly.

* * *

 **Days 3 & 4:**

CHARLES

Whilst Charles had had a pretty good time yesterday, spending time with the girls and seeing the excitement on their faces, now that it was half way through Boxing Day, he was going stir crazy and tearing his hair out. There were only so many passive aggressive comments from Pauline and small talk from her parents he could sit through. That's why he was incredibly glad he and the girls were leaving tomorrow. Earlier in the year, before Pauline had come back, he'd decided on a whim to take the girls to Disney World for New Year. Their lives had been turned upside down since Pauline left and he wanted to give them something to look forward to as they'd always wanted to go there. As a fringe benefit it also meant that he had a reason to leave earlier from here, and Pauline had no recourse to make a fuss because it was pre-booked.

While the girls happily lay on the rug engrossed in a movie, Charles decided to leave them to spend some time with their mom and grandparents, seeing as he'd have them to himself for the next week. Excusing himself he left the house and walked down to the beach, marvelling at how it was December and he didn't even need a jacket. As he walked barefoot along the shoreline, the waves gently lapping at his feet, he had to admit that it was a very beautiful place. That being said though, he couldn't help but miss New York – there was just something about it. It may have something to do with a tall, dark haired woman who happened to be waiting for him there, but his heart would always be in New York.

The beach was practically deserted, his peaceful solitude only interrupted by the occasional dog walker and an elderly couple strolling hand in hand along the sand. He nodded politely at them as they passed him and smiled fondly as he watched as the woman laughed at something her husband said, to which he smiled adoringly at her. They were obviously still very much in love and it was beautiful to watch. That was what he wanted, and as he watched them walk further into the distance, he had a flash of that being him and Liza thirty years from now. He shook his head and chuckled in amusement – they'd only been together (if that's what they were…he really needed to talk to her to clarify that) for a few days, and he was already planning on them growing old together. He wanted it though, and he had done for a long time. He was so far in, he couldn't imagine ever being out.

Thinking about her made him miss her, and January 2nd seemed a long way off. He'd missed her before he'd gotten over his anger and pride and turned up on her doorstep, and he'd missed her before that too when they'd been dancing around their feelings for one another; but back then there always seemed to be something getting in the way of him doing something about that dull ache in his heart. But now, nothing was stopping him, and he could do something about it. He sat down on the sand and pulled out his phone, smiling at the photo of Liza he'd set as his home screen. He took a picture looking out at the ocean and sent it to her with the caption _'My view. C x'._

Charles grinned like a teenager in love as the three dots appeared seconds later and stared at the screen as he waited for her reply to come through. He laughed out loud as a photo of Liza's lounge popped up, complete with empty pizza boxes, wine bottles and remnants of yesterday's wrapping paper, along with the caption _'You win! L x'._ It was an ordered chaos of domesticity that he would happily share with her.

* * *

They set out early the next morning for their five hour drive from Key Largo to Orlando. After a frosty exchange with Pauline, Charles had thanked her parents for their hospitality and bundled the girls into the car. He was glad it was just the three of them now and that he could spend some quality time with them, without them having to witness their parents' animosity. He really needed to have a talk with Pauline about the need to at least be civil to one another in front of the girls – she could be as bitchy as she wanted to him when they were alone, but the girls don't need to see that.

Nicole and Bianca were practically bouncing with excitement in the back of the car and he smiled as he watched them in the rear-view mirror, animatedly discussing everything they wanted to see and do at the various parks, and all the characters they wanted to meet. Seeing his daughters so happy was a great feeling, and being the reason for that happiness was an even greater feeling. They'd wanted to go to Disney World for years and he was excited himself to be giving them that experience.

Six hours and several food and bathroom breaks later they finally arrived at Disney's Wilderness Lodge, where they would be spending the next five days. As he looked around the deluxe villa he'd booked for them, the girls jumping on their bed in excitement, he was very glad he'd upgraded to get the extra space and privacy.

After unpacking their things there wasn't enough time left to visit any of the parks that day, so after promising the girls they would leave first thing in the morning to go to Animal Kingdom, the three of them spent the rest of the afternoon in the hotel pool. Charles couldn't remember the last time he'd worn a pair of board shorts, or even gone swimming for that matter, but it was definitely a long time. He'd always enjoyed swimming when he was younger, and it seemed the girls had inherited that same love of the water. They were both very proficient swimmers, neither needing water wings as they jumped in and giggled happily as they resurfaced with ease. He didn't let them venture out of his sight though – no matter how competent they were, they were still his babies.

As he sat on the side of the pool, watching fondly as the girls practiced their handstands and somersaults, he couldn't fail to notice the attention he was getting from the predominantly female patrons. Bob always teased him about how, despite being in his forties, he got more attention from women than guys in their twenties got. He always brushed it off and ignored it, not really caring if women found him attractive. But some of the women in and around the pool weren't even trying to be subtle and were just brazenly staring at him. He avoided their gazes and pretended not to notice, but when one particularly forward woman swam over to him and asked if he'd like to go for a drink later, he had to politely but firmly explain that he was here to spend time with his kids, and also that he was very much taken.

His rebuttal of that one woman did nothing to deter the ogling of the others, and he rolled his eyes at the absurdity of it all. He had no interest in any of them; there was only one woman he wanted checking him out and who he cared about being attracted to him, and she was in New York right now.

"Daddy, why do those ladies keep looking at you?" Bianca asked loudly, pointing accusingly at three women in the pool not too far from them.

Charles glanced quickly over at them and had to bite his lip to keep from laughing as all three of them turned beet red and hastily averted their gazes to anywhere but at him. Well, that was one way to solve the problem!

* * *

Later that night after tucking the girls into bed, Charles lay back on his own bed and called the one person he wanted to talk to. As if she'd been expecting his call, she picked up on the first ring.

"Hey" he breathed happily, smiling into the phone.

"Hey yourself" Liza teased back.

"How's your day been?" he asked, eager to hear every detail as he couldn't be there to experience it with her.

"Lazy!" Liza replied, "I've done nothing but eat chocolate and watch cheesy Christmas movies all day – I think I have a food hangover. I'm feeling very fat!"

Charles chuckled in amusement at Liza's description, "That's what holidays are for! And you are anything but fat – trust me." He blushed, realising he was referencing the fact that he had seen her naked, and so was therefore a very good judge of the fact she was definitely not fat.

"Thanks" Liza replied shyly, "So how's Disney? Are the girls in their element?"

"Well we haven't been to any of the parks yet – I'm pretty sure I'll be woken up before sunrise in order to do that in the morning, but we went swimming this afternoon. That was interesting."

"Interesting?"

Charles blushed again, knowing he'd have to explain the whole women eye-sexing him business now. "Erm yeah…I…turned out to be quite popular at the pool."

"Popular how?" Liza asked, and he was sure he could detect a note of jealousy in her voice.

He couldn't deny it was a boost to his male pride that she would be jealous of other women hitting on him, but he didn't want to piss her off so he hurriedly continued. "Well, some of the women were quite openly staring at me. One actually came over and asked me out."

"And what did you say?"

There was definitely jealousy in her voice now, but also nervousness, and he wanted to reassure her that he only had eyes for her. "I told her, unequivocally, that I was taken" he assured her softly.

"Oh…that's good" she replied, and he could tell she was smiling.

"She got the message, but the others didn't until my little bodyguard stepped in. Bianca very loudly, whilst pointing, asked why they kept looking at me."

Liza burst out laughing and he loved the sound so much he couldn't help but join in. "Oh my God, I'm just imagining that whole scene!"

"Yeah it was quite the struggle not to laugh!"

"Well Bianca seems to be doing a fine job of being your bodyguard, but maybe I need to come down there and help ward off your little fan club."

Charles knew she was only teasing, but the idea of her wanting to let the world know that she was with him, made his heart swell. He wanted to ask her if that meant they were officially a couple. He knew he was 100% in and he'd meant it when he said he was taken, but was she now taken too? He wanted to ask all of those questions, but he couldn't quite manage to get the words out of his mouth. For now he was happy listening to her giggle and tell him how she wanted to come and protect him from Florida's predatory women – there was plenty of time for everything else.

"Maybe you should."

* * *

 **Days 5 & 6:**

LIZA

Liza decided that even though the holidays were meant for vegging out, she couldn't spend another day lounging around the apartment, sprawled out on the couch. So that was why when Caitlin suggested they hit the sales, even though she had never really cared for shopping – especially sales shopping, she jumped at the chance.

She began to regret her decision and think that maybe she should have stayed on the couch however, after the fifth time of being barged out of the way and knocked into a display of handbags by over excited sale shoppers. Caitlin however was in her element as she happily rifled through every department Macy's had to offer; she definitely didn't inherit her love of shopping from Liza.

As she twiddled her thumbs outside the fitting rooms waiting for Caitlin to try on the mountain of outfits she'd picked out, a display nearby drew her attention. A smile tugged at her lips as she fingered the lace on a little navy blue item that particularly caught her eye. It was the exact shade of navy of the suit Charles was wearing the first time she saw him. He wore a lot of navy, and she was pretty sure he'd quite like this too. In a moment of confidence, she picked up her size and hurried over to the register before she could talk herself out of it.

"What'd you buy?" Liza almost jumped out of her skin when Caitlin came up behind her.

"Nothing!" Liza exclaimed guiltily, feeling her cheeks colour.

Caitlin regarded her curiously, "Doesn't look like nothing." Before Liza had time to react, Caitlin grabbed the bag from her hand and peered inside. "Ohhh, so who are you buying underwear for then Mom?"

Liza glared at her and snatched the bag back, "Give me that!". Caitlin had definitely inherited David's annoying-ness! "And who says I'm buying it for anyone - why can't I be buying underwear for myself?"

Caitlin smirked at her, "Mom, there's always a guy involved when we buy new underwear."

"We? And how would you know that?"

Caitlin rolled her eyes in amusement, "Mom, I'm 20 years old."

"Don't remind me – it makes me feel old! But that doesn't answer my question!"

"And you're not denying it!"

* * *

"Hey, how was shopping?" Maggie greeted them as they got back to the apartment, Liza with one bag, Caitlin with six.

"Mom bought sexy underwear for some guy" Caitlin announced before Liza had a chance to answer.

Maggie snorted, "She did huh?"

Liza shot them both a look and rolled her eyes, "Like I said before – it is possible that women buy underwear for themselves, just because they need it."

Caitlin smirked, "Not that kind of underwear."

"Let me see" Maggie chimed in.

"No!" Liza glared at them both and went into her room, hearing them laughing as she closed the door.

She plopped down on the bed, exhausted from the extreme sport that was sale shopping. Rolling over onto her stomach she pulled out her phone and typed out a text to Charles: _'Make the most of the girls while they're little and cute – when they grow up they become a lot more annoying! L x'_

The three dots appeared a few moments later and Liza stared at the screen waiting for his reply.

' _Duly noted! Rough day? C x'_

' _Shopping! L x'_

' _Ah – I sympathise! Buy anything nice? C x'_

'… _I might have. L x'_

'… _I'm intrigued…will I get to see it? C x'_

Being in different states was making her feel bold. She bit her lip as she replied: _'When you're back in New York I'd say there's a strong possibility. L x"_

She waited anxiously for his reply and then burst out laughing when it popped up: _'I think there's a flight in a couple of hours! C x'_ He always did know how to make her laugh.

Liza hesitated as she began typing, wandering if she was being too open. She clicked 'send' before she could change her mind. _'4 days seems like a long time right now. L x'_

His response was instant: _'I miss you too. C x'_

She smiled as she ran her fingers over his words on the screen. He knew what she was saying, and he felt it too.

* * *

The following day Liza unashamedly stayed in her pyjamas and reacquainted herself with the couch, putting her sore feet up as she lay back with her worn copy of Anna Karenina. Smiling, she snapped a picture of the cover and sent it to Charles with the caption _'This is what holidays are for! L x'_

' _Tolstoy before breakfast again! Are you still skipping to the soap opera of Anna having the affair? C x'_

Liza grinned at his response; he'd quoted their words from their seemingly random conversation when they'd bumped into each other at his favourite breakfast spot, almost two years ago. _'I am - it's like Real Housewives of St Petersburg with dense Russian prose! L x'_ she added.

' _I remember you saying! C x'_ he replied and then sent a photo of his own book – A Farewell to Arms, with the message, _'We're off to Blizzard Beach today so I doubt I'll get time to do much reading! C x'_

Liza felt a little stab of jealousy at the thought of a bunch of women staring at him half naked at the water park. She knew she had nothing to worry about – Charles wasn't like that, but the thought of it still irked her. _'Better tell Bianca to up her game with her bodyguard duties! L x'_

' _Don't worry - she's got my back. They'd be wasting their time anyway…you see the thing is, there's this woman back in Brooklyn that I can't seem to get out of my head. C x'_

Liza couldn't help the full on smile that took over her whole face. _'Is that right? L x'_

' _It is. In fact I'm very much looking forward to seeing her in 4 days time. C x'_

' _She's looking forward to seeing you too. L x'_

* * *

 **Day 7:**

CHARLES

Disney World was exhausting. After being there for three days now he could safely say that this 'holiday' was more tiring than being at work. The girls seemed to have an endless supply of energy and each day they'd been out and exploring the parks from 9AM until 7PM. He was pretty sure he'd walked a good 10 miles a day. It was totally worth it though to see the girls' looks of total awe and enchantment – the smiles hadn't left their faces since the moment they got there. He was glad he could do this for them and give them these memories. They'd been amazing in dealing with all of the upheaval in their lives over the past two years, so Disney overload and sore feet were a small price to pay to see them this happy.

Today was Magic Kingdom and Charles grinned as he waved back at the girls who were excitedly sitting on the Prince Charming Carousel, waiting for it to start – for the third time. His phone vibrated against his leg and he frowned when he saw that it was his lawyer.

"Charles, hi. I'm sorry to bother you over the holidays but I've had word from Pauline's attorney and I thought you'd want to know." Charles sighed – this was unlikely to be anything good. "She's naming Liza Miller on the divorce papers, and making out that she's the injured party."

Charles rubbed his temples in frustration, "You can't be serious."

"Unfortunately I am."

"She knows she left me months before I even knew Liza existed!"

"I imagine she does, but she may try to argue that Miss Miller is the reason for the lack of reconciliation."

"Pauline is the reason for the lack of reconciliation; me and Pauline – no one else!" Charles couldn't believe Pauline's audacity to try and pull something like this.

"And I of course will make that very clear. I just wanted to let you know that this divorce might be a little more time consuming, and expensive, than we originally thought."

"Thank you John; I appreciate you letting me know."

Charles cursed in annoyance after he hung up. Pauline was doing this out of spite, to get a reaction from him. He knew her, and he knew her pride was hurt that he hadn't just sat on his hands while she was living it up in LA and welcomed her back with open arms. Neither of them were innocent parties in their marriage breakdown, but she had been the one to leave him – without any notice or preamble. He had every right to move on with his life.

His mood soured somewhat after that phone call, but as he heard Bianca's happy giggle as she and Nicole ran over to him, he couldn't help but smile. He'd deal with the headache that was his divorce when he got back to New York, but this was the girls' trip and he wasn't going to let anything take away any of the magic for them.

"What do you say we go and get some ice cream?" Charles asked and laughed happily at their enthusiastic responses as they took one of his hands each and tugged him towards Main Street.

* * *

Charles was pretty sure he was now pre-diabetic after leaving Plaza Ice Cream Parlor, the girls insisting that he had to have a sundae too. Of course, being on Main Street there was no way he could avoid the gift shops and he swiftly found himself surrounded by more Disney merchandise than he ever thought imaginable. Nicole and Bianca were in their element, trying on princess crowns and playing with stuffed toys of every Disney character that ever lived. A display of snow globes caught their attention and Charles watched with fatherly affection as they picked one after the other up, fascinated as the glitter fluttered down over the little figures inside the globes.

"Hey look, this one's Beauty and the Beast!" Bianca exclaimed, picking up another of the snow globes and shaking it up.

Nicole smiled as she looked at the snow globe her sister was holding. "Remember when we watched that with Liza?"

"Yeah, she said it was her favourite Disney movie."

"And she had to carry you up to bed after because you ate too much popcorn!"

Charles smiled as the girls giggled, recalling what sounded like a fun night for them. He was happy that they were so fond of Liza, and he hoped that they would be just as happy to have her as his girlfriend and not just their favourite babysitter.

"Bianca, they have a Frozen one!" Nicole announced excitedly, reaching for one and handing it to her sister.

Bianca's eyes went wide and she turned to him and gave him that look he'd never been able to resist, "Daddy can we get one of these? Pleeease?"

"Yeah, can we – to remember our trip?" Nicole added for good measure.

Charles chuckled, knowing there was no way he could deny them when they were looking at him like that. "Pick your favourite then."

The girls squealed in excitement and hastily got to debating the merits of each option. After some considerable deliberation, Bianca unsurprisingly stuck with the Frozen globe, and Nicole went for a classic Mickey and Minnie Mouse one. As the girls carried their globes to the register, in addition to two pairs of Mickey Mouse ears (which he had to admit they looked very cute in), Charles picked up the Beauty and the Beast one too. It had Belle and the Beast embracing in front of the castle and a glittery 2018 at the bottom – it was cheesy, but he hoped Liza would like it.

Several hours and multiple rides and servings of fast food later, Charles tucked the girls into bed and kissed them goodnight. They were out like a light; all of the excitement of the day having worn them out. Leaving the door to their bedroom ajar, he retreated to his own room and collapsed onto the bed in total exhaustion. Seeing his daughters so happy was worth every ounce of tiredness he was feeling, but he had to admit he was glad tomorrow was their last day. It was New Year's Eve tomorrow and the girls were beyond excited to watch the parade and firework display. He was actually looking forward to that himself – his parents had brought him here for New Years once when he was about Nicole's age and it would be nice to relive that experience again, but this time as a parent.

Charles kicked off his shoes and stretched out on the bed, too tired to bother changing. He tugged his phone from his pocket and typed out a text to Liza: _'Disney has defeated me!'_ before allowing his eyes to close.

He startled when his phone vibrated next to him a few minutes later, already half asleep. _'Happens to the best of us! Hope you and the girls are having a great time! …I miss you. L x'._

Charles grinned as he read her words. _'I miss you too. C x'_ he texted back, before drifting off into dreams of her and what their future could hold.

* * *

 **Day 8: New Year's Eve**

LIZA

"Liza, I'm not leaving you sitting alone in the apartment on New Year's Eve so you can stare at your phone all night!"

Liza scowled at her best friend – she'd been trying all day to get her to come out with her tonight to a party that Malkie was throwing at her apartment. Liza had never been particularly bothered about New Year's Eve, and whilst she appreciated Maggie's offer, she felt a bit like a third wheel. Caitlin was going out with Rose and all she really wanted to do was stay in her pyjamas, curl up with a book and then watch the ball drop on TV. "I'm not staring at my phone."

Maggie smirked in amusement, "That thing's been glued to your side since Charles dropped you back here after your night of passion." Liza rolled her eyes but didn't bother trying to deny it – she knew the increased attention she'd been paying to her phone lately correlated directly with the length of time Charles had been away. Maggie's face softened and she wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Look I know you miss him, but you're gunna see him in two days - so focus on all the hot sex you'll be having soon! Now move your ass and go and get ready – I'm not taking no for an answer!"

Liza chuckled as Maggie playfully shoved her towards her room; it would seem she was going out tonight.

* * *

A few glasses of wine in as Liza stood on Malkie's balcony, laughing with her and Maggie, she was glad she'd agreed to come. She smiled as she watched the two of them interact and bounce off each other. Maggie had always been there for her and it was great to see her so happy like this.

"So Maggie tells me you have a new man in your life." Liza blushed at Malkie's comment.

"Less new, more just finally unwrapped" Maggie provided.

"Maggie!" Liza chastised, feeling her face flush further at her friend's lack of subtlety.

"What? I'm just speaking the truth!"

Liza ignored Maggie's teasing and turned to Malkie, "I do – it's very new, but erm..the feelings have been there for a lot longer" she told her shyly.

Malkie smiled warmly at her, "Well anyone who puts a look like that on your face I'd say is a good thing. We'll have to double date some time."

Liza returned her smile, "I'd like that." Having her different worlds interlacing, with no more secrets, was what she'd been wanting ever since her Empirical family started to mean more to her than just work colleagues.

As the hours ticked by and midnight approached, Liza looked out over the New York skyline that had become her home and thought about how much her life had changed over the past year. If someone would have told her on New Year's Eve 2017 that one year from then she would be an associate editor, she would not have believed them. And she definitely wouldn't have believed them if they'd told her that she and Charles would have just spent the most amazing night together and would be on the verge of finally having their shot. It was amazing what a difference a year could make.

Glancing at her phone she noticed that there were only 15 minutes of 2018 left and her mind wandered to what Charles was doing. He'd told her he was taking the girls to watch the Disney parade and firework display, and she smiled as she imagined their excited faces. She remembered the look of pure joy and awe on Caitlin's face when she'd seen it for the first time back when she was Bianca's age.

As if he'd realised she was thinking about him, her phone started vibrating in her hand and a picture of his face flashed up on her screen. He didn't know she had that photo – it was taken at a work event a while ago and was featured in some online article about said event. Pauline had just come back at the time and Liza was doing her best to stay away from him to give him time to decide what he wanted to do about his marriage, but when she'd seen that photo she'd automatically saved it to her phone and attached it to his number in her contacts. She wasn't sure why she liked that particular photo so much, but she did, and now any time he called she got to see it.

She snapped herself out of her memories and quickly answered the call before it cut off. "Hey!"

"Hey" he replied, his voice sounding relieved. "I didn't think I was going to catch you."

"Sorry – my phone was on silent." She was not about to tell him she was too busy staring at his picture to remember to actually answer the phone. "So how was the parade, and the fireworks? Did the girls love it?"

"It was great, and they did love it." Liza could hear the happiness in his voice and sensed him smiling through the phone. She smiled back as he continued. "I've never been more tired in my life but I'm glad I brought them here – seeing them so enraptured and animated was just the best feeling. They'll remember this forever, and when they're teenagers and can't be seen with me anymore, I'll be able to comfort myself with knowing that they thought I was cool at one point."

Liza chuckled, "Oh, I'm sure they'll always think you're cool."

"I don't know about that" Charles replied, amusedly. "Does Caitlin still think you're cool?"

"Erm…'cool' might be stretching it a little bit, but she's willing to be seen in public with me."

Charles laughed and Liza joined in, loving the sound. "Nicole insisted she was old enough to stay up 'til midnight, but they were both knocked out by 10:30. So how's your night been?"

Liza smiled as she told him all about how her quiet night in with her book had been sabotaged by Maggie dragging her out to a party, and how in hindsight she was glad she came because she'd actually had a good time.

"Well I'm glad Maggie did that, and that you're not on your own. I would…love to be there with you right now" he replied softly, and she could hear the shyness in his voice.

She smiled into the phone, "Me too."

Charles sighed, "I will be soon."

Liza grinned, the thought of seeing him sending a tingle down her spine and a rush of warmth through her veins, "Two days."

"Two days" he breathed.

"10, 9, 8…" Liza turned to see everyone inside crowded around the TV, joining in with the countdown as they waited for the ball to drop in Times Square. "5, 4, 3, 2, 1!" She grinned as she watched Maggie and Malkie embrace, then turned back to look out at the fireworks lighting up the sky.

"Happy New Year Charles" she told him happily.

"Happy New Year Liza" he replied warmly. "If I was there right now I'd be kissing you."

Liza's breath caught as memories of what it felt like when he kissed her washed over her. "And I'd be kissing you back."

Two days couldn't come soon enough.

* * *

 **Day 9: New Year's Day**

CHARLES

Charles was up surprisingly early considering it was New Year's Day. He'd loved having the past week with the girls but he was eager to get back to New York, and he didn't even bother trying to deny the reason why: Liza. He knew he wasn't going to see her until tomorrow, but just being in New York made him feel closer to her – it was intrinsically linked to her and reminded him of times they'd shared together. He'd love to just head straight to Brooklyn tonight, turn up on her doorstep and take her into his arms; just like he had done before Christmas, just like he'd longed to do for as long as he could remember. But it was Caitlin's last night before she headed back to college and he didn't want to deprive Liza of that time with her daughter. So, he would wait one more day – not patiently, but be would wait. After all, they'd waited this long – what was one more day? Charles shook his head in amused frustration: long, that's what it was!

Nicole and Bianca weren't quite so keen to leave the land of fairy-tale and make believe that they'd been living in for the past five days. They perked up though after he promised them one last Disney breakfast before they headed to the airport.

Charles smiled as their plane taxied down the runway and the girls leaned over each other to watch as they left the Florida sunshine behind. When they landed in La Guardia, it would no doubt be cold, snowy and far less temperate, but he didn't care – New York was home. The girls were spark out half an hour into the flight, curled into positions that couldn't possibly be comfortable. It seemed Disney had defeated them all! There was no way he was going to be able to sleep though: 1. Because he was far too wired thinking about everything that being back in New York would mean, and 2. Even in first class, airplane seats were not designed for people his height.

As he rested his head back on the seat and closed his eyes, enjoying a quiet that he hadn't experienced since he landed in Florida over a week ago, his mind, as it always did, drifted to Liza. He was excited, but also nervous, to see her again. He'd replayed their night together over and over in his head – he remembered every moment, every detail, every touch. It still felt surreal that it had actually happened, as for so long being with her had just been a dream that had always been just a little bit too far out of reach to make reality. It had been nine days since he'd seen her, and he ached to touch her, to remind himself that this was real. He smiled as he realised he no longer had to fight the urge to reach for her, to kiss her - because finally he was allowed to.

Since the night he'd turned up on her doorstep and drew a line under all of the secrets and hurt, and kissed her like his life depended on it, when they'd started this thing between them that they hadn't officially given a name to yet, they'd now spent more time apart than they had together. Would it be weird seeing each other again? Would it be awkward? The last time he saw her he was kissing her goodbye after they'd just spent the most amazing night together, but they'd called or texted every day since…so it wouldn't be weird – he was just nervous. He'd wanted this, to be with Liza, for a long time, and he just didn't want to mess it up.

Charles knew they would have a number of obstacles to face by being together; one being Pauline, and then there was the small matter of their working relationship and how it would be received by their colleagues and HR. He hated that it even mattered – they hadn't done anything wrong, no one had taken advantage. He'd just fallen in love – it shouldn't matter that the person he'd fallen in love with happened to work for him. It was beyond frustrating, but he'd do whatever it took, because being with Liza would be worth it.

So lost in his thoughts was he that it surprised him to realise that over three hours had passed when the flight attendants announced they would shortly be beginning their decent into New York. The girls had managed to sleep through the whole flight and he envied their ability to fall asleep so easily. He woke them only so they could watch the landing, knowing they'd want to see it. As they touched down at La Guardia, Charles smiled fondly at the predicted grey, snowiness of the city he'd called home for the majority of his life.

Charles took a photo of the girls posing next to the La Guardia sign, complete with their Mickey Mouse ears, and sent it to Liza with the caption _'It's good to be home!'._ After collecting their baggage, an Uber took them the short journey back to the Upper East Side and he smiled as he let them back into their house. Holidays were great, but he always loved coming home afterwards to his own space and having his own things around him.

After sending the girls upstairs to get washed up, he searched the kitchen for something to feed them. Unsurprisingly, after being away for over a week, there wasn't much that was edible. He settled on macaroni cheese, more by process of elimination than anything else, but the girls didn't seem to mind.

"Can we make pancakes for dessert Daddy?" Bianca asked as she finished off the last of her macaroni cheese.

"We don't have any milk" he told her apologetically. "In fact, we don't have much of anything right now." Bianca's face fell and he didn't want to end their holiday with disappointment, "How about we go to the store and pick up a few things? We can't be having macaroni cheese for breakfast can we?!"

* * *

His plan to pick up a 'few essentials' turned into a cart full of food that would probably last them a month, and a reminder of why he preferred online grocery shopping. On the plus side though, the fridge and the cupboards now looked a lot less sparse, and the girls were happily mixing their pancake batter.

"Have you added the secret ingredient?" Nicole asked.

Bianca screwed her eyes shut then stirred her mixture some more, "Yeah!"

Charles regarded them with amusement, "What's the secret ingredient?"

Bianca smiled at him, "A wish!"

"A wish?"

"Liza said that if you make a wish when you're stirring the mixture then they taste extra nice. But you can't tell anyone what your wish is" Nicole explained.

"Is that right?" Charles smiled warmly, imagining Liza imparting that incredibly cute knowledge to his young daughters. "You like Liza don't you?" he inquired carefully.

"Yeah she's really fun!" Bianca replied.

"When's she coming over again?" Nicole added.

His phone buzzed on the table and he smiled when he saw it was a message from the very woman they'd just been talking about: _'I'm glad. New York's not the same without you. L x'_

"Hopefully very soon"

* * *

 **Day 10: January 2** **nd**

LIZA

Usually people dreaded going back to work after the Christmas holidays and overindulging, but Liza had been waiting for today pretty much since the day she last left work. To be precise, she'd been waiting for this for ten days. It wasn't so much the work that she was looking forward to getting back to, although she loved her job, it was more the fact that she'd get to see a certain person that she'd been missing for the past ten days. And so that was why at 6:00AM she was already up, showered, and had half the contents of her closet emptied onto her bed.

She hadn't seen Charles in ten days, and the thought of seeing him in just a few hours sent a swarm of butterflies fluttering around her stomach. Things were different now to the last time they'd seen each other at work, and as sappy and un-feminist as it sounded, she wanted to look nice for him. Casting aside more dresses than she realised she even owned, she eventually settled on a sleeveless white shift dress, coupled with her tan knee high boots. After blow drying her hair into some loose waves and adding a touch of makeup, she examined her appearance in the mirror before heading into the kitchen where Maggie was making some coffee.

"Okay, honest opinion: do I look like I'm trying too hard?" she asked nervously.

Maggie whistled in appreciation, "You look hot – Charles is not gunna be able to keep his eyes, or his hands, off of you!"

Liza smiled in amusement at Maggie's assessment. "But is it too much?"

"Not at all! Sweetie, you look beautiful – it's just the right amount of professional and sexy."

* * *

Liza felt somewhat reassured by Maggie's words as she headed out to the subway, but as she got off at the other end and stood in front of Empirical's imposing building, that nervous anticipation returned with a vengeance. There had been delays on the subway so she wasn't actually that early now, which was probably a good thing, as sitting around twiddling her thumbs would just have increased her nervousness. She stepped onto the elevator and smiled as Kelsey called out to hold the door and hurried to join her.

"Hey!" Kelsey greeted her, "I think I need a holiday to get over the holidays!"

Liza smiled at her friend; she however did not want a single second longer of time off. It had been 12 long days since she'd set foot in this building: two of which had been amazing and perfect, and surpassed anything she could have imagined, but the other ten had felt torturously long as she impatiently waited for today. She did have incentive though for wanting to be back here as soon as possible, and that incentive came in the form of a 6ft5, green eyed man who just so happened to be their boss, and who had occupied her every waking thought (and a lot of her sleeping thoughts) since the last time she saw him. "Still recovering from New Year?"

"Still recovering from the whole week!" Liza smirked in amusement – Kelsey did look a little worse for wear. "I'll fill you in at lunch, but first I need coffee – only about 25% of my brain is awake right now. Did you get up to much over the holidays."

Liza felt a smile tug at her lips – she'd got up to a lot over the holidays. "Just spending time with the people I love."

As the elevator dinged and they stepped off onto Empirical's floor, they passed Zane in the corridor. She wished him a cheerful "Happy New Year Zane", to which he replied in kind, but the frosty look he shot Kelsey, coupled with the lack of a similarly warm greeting, gave Liza some idea of the drama that Kelsey may have experienced over the holidays.

When they made it into the main office area, Liza covertly glanced over at Charles's office, but to her disappointment she found that the lights were still off, which meant he probably wasn't in yet. Diana however, unsurprising, was already there, and came waltzing out of her office with that overly dramatic flare that Liza had come to love.

"Hello ladies. How was everyone's break?"

"It was great!" Liza replied enthusiastically.

"Exhausting" Kelsey groaned.

"I know exactly what you mean" Diana sympathised, "Enzo and I overslept and over ate, so now I am on a cleanse, which means no coffee. So don't expect me to be my normal, cheery self."

"Uh…" Liza wasn't sure if Diana was being sarcastic, but she refrained from commenting just in case she wasn't.

"Oh…look who's back."

Liza didn't need to turn around to know who Diana had just seen walk into the office – the hairs on the back of her neck standing up told her all she needed to know. She whipped her head around so fast though she was surprised she didn't get whiplash in her haste to see him.

"Hey…whoa" Kelsey commented when Charles came to stand in front of them.

She couldn't help but share Kelsey's sentiments as she looked up at his face. In the two years that she'd known him she'd only ever seen him clean shaven, or at most with bit of stubble. But now she couldn't even see that chiselled jawline of his because he was stood before her with a full-on beard.

"Happy New Year to you all!" he greeted them.

"Happy New Year!" she replied warmly. He glanced quickly at her but then looked anywhere but at her.

"Very uh, becoming, Charles" Diana commented.

Liza couldn't help but stare at his beard as he congratulated Kelsey on Jake Devereaux's chapters – it was very distracting. But more distracting than his new facial hair was how he wouldn't meet her eye. Had he got cold feet? He seemed eager to see her whenever they'd spoke on the phone, but had he changed his mind now that he was back in New York?

"Oh, by the way, Sophia Bell is coming in this morning to pitch her book. She's like the new Dr Ruth" Diana informed him.

"Great. I will uh, see you all at the meeting."

As Liza watched him walk away, she got more and more confused – had she really read things so wrong? She really thought they were finally on the same page.

"Dear God, that beard" Diana commented, clearly unimpressed with the new addition to Charles's face.

"You know what they say…men who grow beards are hiding something" Kelsey added.

"Yes, generally crumbs" Diana deadpanned, "Liza – coffee! …No! No coffee!"

As Kelsey and Diana departed to their respective offices, Liza stared worriedly after Charles. Did he have something to hide? Was it that he didn't want to be with her after all?

Her phone buzzed and she distractedly looked down at it. One simple word from him eradicated all her doubt.

' _Hi'_

She couldn't keep the excited smile off her face as she turned and followed him to his office. Knocking on his door, Liza felt a tingle run down her spine as he looked up from his desk and their eyes met.

"Hi" she greeted, smiling shyly as she walked towards him.

"Hi" he replied softly, his eyes shining with emotion, in the same way they had done on the night they spent together. "I missed you", he added; his voice tender, raw and hopeful, all at the same time. He'd said those words a number of times to her over the past ten days, but this was the first time he'd said it to her in person. He was putting his heart out there and it sent a rush of warmth through her whole body.

"I missed you too."

And now she wouldn't have to miss him anymore.


End file.
